Averages: 43 Texel shearlings, £1019 (-£78 for four fewer); 34 Lleyn shearlings, £906 (+£41 for six fewer). Overall, 77 shearlings, £969 (-£21 for 10 less).

Strong commercial prices were again paid by repeat buyers at the McGowan family's 10th on-farm grass-fed ram sale at Incheoch, where purchasers from as far afield as England, Wales, Ireland as well as all corners of Scotland were forward.

Lleyns led the trade, with the sale leader at 3000gns, Incheoch Finigan, bred from an eight-crop ewe, selling with high fat and good figures to new breeder, Tom Riley from Lancashire.

Two sons of Incheoch Edge, sold next at 2100gns and 2000gns. Dearest was Incheoch Flame, purchased by repeat customer Simon Shirley Bevan, Gatehousecote, Bonchester Bridge.

Incheoch Fortknox then made 2000gns selling to Simon Brown from Kilkenny on his first visit to the sale at 2000gns.

Texel shearlings peeaked at 1700gns for the first sheep in the ring which was a top 1% growth ram whose dam bred the sale topper at the 2016 sale. The buyers were R and S Turnbull from Montrose.

Another high performance ram went to Peter Mitchell of Tullymurdoch at 1600gns.

Near neighbours, R Simpson and Son, Mains of Creuchies, then went to 1400gns.

Greenmount College, Northern Ireland, selected their usual consignment of a high performing Texel and Lleyn shearlings going to 1500gns and 1050gns respectively.

On a rare good harvest night, Neil McGowan welcomed a smaller crowd than in recent years.

Auctioneers: United Auctions.